Cover for paint in opened paint cans



Sept. 2, 1952 D. E. SHILSTONE 2,609,119

COVER FOR PAINT IN OPENED PAINT CANS Filed Dec. 10, 1949 -um 1i Llllhllllllllllllu- 1., j'

' INVENTOR. 50/74 7w) 5 59/1570;

BY Arr-01L m Patented Sept. 2, 1952 ccvEn-Fon mmr The invention herein disclosed-is et protective coverfor preventing the formation of the crust or fskin on the surface of paint standing in opened-paint cans.

Special objectsof the invention are to provide an article for this purpose which can be quickly and easily entered ina paint can and smoothed down into flat, air-excluding? sealing engagement with;'therpainttsurfaceand which when the paint is to be used again, may be easily detached andremoved from the can. I

. Further special'objects of the invention are to provide the article indicated in an inexpensive,

readily manufactured form, durable in character and of such composition and nature that it may be used time and time again.

Other desirable objects attained by the invention and the novel features through which the purposes of the invention are accomplished are all set forth or will appear in the course of the following specification.

The drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification illustrates a present practical commercial embodiment of the invention but it will be appreciated, as the invention is understood, that various changes and modifications may be made in the actual physical structure without departure from the true and intended spirit and scope of the invention.

Fig. 1 in the drawing is a top plan view of one of the covers spread out in flat relation;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the same as on substantially the diametrical line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a broken sectional view showing how the cover will flex to permit its being forced down through the restricted mouth of a paint can;

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing in somewhat exaggerated way how the cover is forced down into the body of paint to exclude all air from beneath the same;

Fig. 5 is a generally similar view showing how on release of the placing pressure the flexible "and resilient cover will flatten out smoothly, with the projecting flange on top of the same completely sealing it against the side wall of the can;

Fig. 6 is a broken sectional view showinghow the sealing flange may be lifted by a projecting handle at one side to start and ease the sealing flange away from the can and to lift the cover gradually, with a rolling action, away from the surface of the paint.

As shown in Fig. 1, the article is constructed of a. main cover disc I of light, thin, flat, flexible vinylite plastic.

A PATENT OFFICE. Q

' 'I' v 2,609,119- t IN OPENED PAINT CANS lDorot-hy E. Shilstone, Lake Mahopac, N. Y. j I Application'Decemherlfl,1949,SerialNo.132,233

.1 Claim. (01. 220- 93) and resilient material, impervious "to paint, an

annular flange 8 of less internal diameter and of disc and the projecting flange.

Thislifting strip is shown as having finger grip portions l l projecting at opposite sides from the sealing flange and ahandle' loop' (2 over the center of the disc.

All three parts, the cover disc 1, sealing fl'ang 8 and handle strip 10 preferably are of material impervious and non reactive to paint,'-such as This material is suflicien'tly flexible to be'more or less folded and collapsed to enter the cover through the restricted mouth l3 of a paint can I, as shown in Fig; 3, and sufficiently resilient to spring back and flatten down smoothly from a partially bowed condition, as shown in Fig. 4, to a flat, completely sealing condition, as shown in Fig. 5.

Also, this flexibility and resiliency permits the flange to be pulled away from the wall of the can and the disc to be lifted gradually, with a rolling, vacuum breaking action, as shown in Fig. 6.

The sealing flange preferably is of lighter and more flexible material than the disc, so as to conform the more readily into sealing engagement with the surrounding wall of the can.

The lifting strip I0 may be of the same material as the sealing flange, or be a different material. In some instances this handle forming element may be an integral extension of the sealing flange.

The sealing flange is secured on top of the cover disc so as to leave the latter entirely flat on the lower side and so as to leave the edge of the disc exposed to the paint where, as shown in Fig. 5, the paint will we and flll in the slight space between the rim of the disc and the surrounding wall of the can.

Use of the plastic mentioned is of the further advantage that the flange may be secured on top of the disc by continuous thermoplastic or socalled electric weld. The pull handle strap or strip may be similarly secured across the cover disc and extension flange.

When a can of paint has been opened and partially used, evaporation and formation of skin on the surface or the remaining contents may be prevented by partially collapsing and inserting the cover through the mouth of the can, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, in particular forcing the cover downward as in the latter view, to displace the paint upwardly about the edges of the disc and behind the borders of the encircling sealing flange so that as pressure is released and the liquid level lowers as in Fig. 5, the cover disc will form a flat pad resting on the surface of the paint and sealed about its edges by the liquid entrapped between the rim of the disc, the upstanding flange and the encircling wall of the can. This automatically assures an air-tight seal which will continue so long as required, but at any time the cover may be quickly and easily removed by pulling up on one of the handle strips in the manner indicated in Fig. 6, to first pull the sealing flange away from the wall of the can at one edge and to then roll the flexible disc upwardly away from the surface of the paint.

The plastic disc and flange are practically selfcleaning and any wet paint adhering thereto can be easily wiped oil? so that when removed the paint will drain off or may be easily wiped off such surfaces when the covers are removed from the paint cans.

' To-facilitate cleaning, a coating of "Carbowax or stearic acid may be applied to the cover. Such coatings act as parting agents and are not affected by solvents that might be used for cleaning the covers.

What is claimed is:

An easily applied, readily removable and reuseable plastic cover for preventing the formation of skin on the surface of paint in an opened paint can, comprising an inner disc of relatively light, thin, flat, flexible, plastic material impervious to paint, said disc being of slightly less diameter than the inside of a paint can it is to be used with and being flexible to fold freely to permit its entry in the mouth of the can and sufiiciently resilient to flatten down into the I desired position, an annular outer peripheral disc REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

I v UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,660,876 MacDougall Feb. 28, 1928 2,172,457 Schwartz Sept. 12, 1939 2,190,203 Barnard Feb. 13, 1940 2,465,755

Sanders Mar. 29, 1949 

